Described as beautiful by her sister Siri[2], Vivenna is the tallest of the Idrian princesses.[3] As a member of Idrian royalty, she is descended from a Returned and thus is capable of changing the color of her hair, with conscious effort or subconsciously to reflect her emotional state.[4] She is mentioned at being exceptionally good at this skill, and even her father Dedelin, the king himself, is surprised at her ability to stay so unemotional and keep her hair black.

In the beginning of the novel Warbreaker, Vivenna wears a simple grey dress and keeps her hair in a knot, due to her strict adherence to Idrian beliefs. She maintains a solid black color in her hair.[2] As the novel progresses and she finds herself in T'Telir, however, she begrudgingly begins wearing more colored and revealing dresses out of practicality. She cuts off her hair to sell it[5] and is never mentioned growing it back. By the end of the novel, she wears thick trousers, a tunic, and a vest, all different shades of blue, and carries a sword at her waist.[6] She is also mentioned to have lost, or at least does not bother with, the ability to keep her hair at one set color, and mostly just lets it change to match her feelings.

Vivenna also appears as Highmarshal Azure on Roshar. She looks to be a lean[7]Alethi woman in her mid-thirties[8], with light[9] orange eyes and straight black hair[10] reaching halfway down her cheeks. She is slightly shorter than average height by Alethi standards and wears gloves on both hands.[7] Two scars[7] cross her face.[11] She also wears an azure cloak, with a mail coif around her neck, and has a helm that she often carries in her hand. She wears her blade as a side-sword.[7] At times, she wears her cloak partially wrapped, partially draped around her left arm.[12][13]

She began as a statuesque, uptight, judgmental, and devout adherent to Idrian dogma. After her experiences in T'Telir, however, Vivenna's worldview and personality are fundamentally changed, as exemplified in her choice to become an Awakener and travel with Vasher. She used to look down on the Hallandrens; however, later she notes that she does not really care about them anymore, and that her hatred was caused by their inherent indifference towards the Idrians.

Due to getting captured by Denth, whom she viewed as a friend and spent weeks with, Vivenna gradually loses her haughtiness and starts to realize that she was being unfair. She begins to want to learn so that she will no longer be helpless. She does not wish to be powerless any longer and learns Awakening after realizing that it had nothing to do with her Idrian beliefs. After realizing that Vasher is an exceptional Awakener with highly technical knowledge, she realizes that judging people by their appearances does not make any sense.

Gradually, Vivenna becomes a capable young woman who even realizes that rulership is not for her. She gives up her throne to her siblings and travels with Vasher.

In Oathbringer, when Adolin Kholin berates her for not doing her duty to her kingdom, she tells him that that is the one thing she does not regret.

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As the first daughter of the king of Idris, Dedelin, she was trained to marry the God King of Hallandren from a young age, as according to the peace treaty between their respective nations. At the age of twenty-two, she was to be sent to T'Telir to marry him. However, Dedelin's love for his first daughter caused him to instead send Siri, of whom he was less fond.[2]

Vivenna left her home and attempted to rescue Siri from her marriage with Susebron.[14] After arriving in T'Telir, she looked for the Idrian's informant, Lemex. Instead, she met Denth and Tonk Fah, who were posing as mercenaries. They led her to Lemex, who had not advised her father that he was deathly ill. Before his death, Lemex transferred his Breath to Vivenna against her will, bringing her to the Third Heightening.[15] Lemex's mercenaries told her that their contract with Lemex had not concluded and she was their new employer.[16] Unbeknownst to the princess, they had the ulterior motive of inciting conflict between Idrians and the Hallandren for their true employer, the Pahn Kahl scribe Bluefingers. With their "help", Vivenna spent many weeks in T'Telir inadvertently stirring the Idrian community into a rebellion against the Court of the Gods.[6]

Vivenna was later kidnapped by Vasher, who was seeking to prevent the mercenaries from realizing their goal, but she escaped. After she managed to return to the safe house, she discovered the truth of her time with the mercenaries after finding Parlin's tortured corpse, dead Idrian soldiers, and various animals' corpses. She then encountered the mercenaries as they truly were.[17]

Once again, Vivenna escaped to the streets, but not before losing many of her Breaths in a futile attempt to Awaken a cloak. On the run, she became a drab to avoid detection in the Idrian slums, where she was forced into poverty, but kept a shawl that held the Breath she still owned. Eventually, she was nearly captured by Denth's henchmen, but was rescued by Vasher.[18][19]

In an unfamiliar situation, and with her worldview shattered, Vivenna decided to begin learning to Awaken from the grizzled Returned, learning much more quickly than most others due to her experiences as an Idrian royal. Vivenna and Vasher worked together to repair some of the damage she had caused in the company of Denth and Tonk Fah. They contacted the Idrians in T'Telir and tried to convince them not to go to war or to incite the Hallandren forces. However they both remark that these efforts are not enough as they can see the war is becoming inevitable.

As events climaxed in the Court of the Returned, Vivenna took action and helped prevent the start of another Manywar. After reuniting with her sister, Vivenna chose to travel with Vasher and participate in his adventures, beginning with his investigation of Yesteel's return.[1]

Vivenna traveled through Shadesmar to arrive at Roshar about 1 year prior searching for Vasher and the sword Nightblood.[20] She became the Highmarshal of the Wall Guard in Kholinar. She is observed to have a strange Shardblade, in that it does not have a gem in its hilt and it does not appear capable of appearing or disappearing. The blade is likely a type IV BioChromatic entity similar to Nightblood. When she seized control of the Wall Guard, she also secured a monastery that had a single Soulcaster in it at the time. After taking control of the Wall Guard she was approached by Wit (Hoid) and given metal panels that neutralize the enemy's detection of the use of Investiture, sheets seemingly made from aluminum.[21] This allowed her to keep the Wall Guard fed and provided a small amount of food for the city.

Vivenna joined in the assault on the Kholin Palace and traveled to Shadesmar with Kaladin, Shallan, and Adolin. She left their company to help defend the ship while the others escaped. Her fate is unclear, though if she survived she would have headed for Cultivation's Perpendicularity.

Based on hints during her conversations It is clear that Azure is Vivenna. She talks of abdicating her responsibility to someone better suited to the task. She clearly has a history with the character Zahel. At one point while under a great deal of stress her hair appears to bleed from Black to gray.

She is the daughter of King Dedelin of Idris.
She is the sister of Siri, Ridger and Fafen.[2]
She was the intended wife of Susebron the God King of Hallandren.
She was lifelong friend and potential partner of Parlin as their fathers were great friends before them.
She is Vasher's companion.